Direct Care Services

For more than 50 years, BAC has taken a mission-centric, community-based approach to providing critical services to people living with disabilities. We customize our service offering to meet the unique, personal needs of each participant we work with and partner closely with local businesses to provide well-matched potential employees to fulfill their hiring needs.
Our focus is on the whole person, providing a well-rounded set of program offerings to address many of the employment, empowerment, cultural and recreational needs of our participants.

 

Employment Assistance / Employer Job Matching

Our team of professional Employment Consultants (ECs) help local businesses and program participants take the guesswork out of the hiring process by connecting the right candidates with the right roles, all at no cost to the business.

This is the right program for participants who are job-ready, eager to work in competitive community employment and do not need long-term job coaching or follow-up support, then this is the program for you.

Our ECs are available to meet with participants and hiring managers to assess employment needs, specifically discussing with businesses the qualifications required of the “perfect” job candidate. Then our ECs review their pool of participants for potential employees who will be the best match. From there, the business can decide to hire the participant or keep searching.

Job matching and employment assistance services include:

  • Pre-screening
  • Pre and post job support
  • Follow-up with the employee and employer for a minimum of 90 days
  • Final assessment

Contact our Employment Services team to learn more about BAC’s job matching service.

Employment Assistance Program

Employer Services at Brevard Achievement Center

 

Supported Employment

A professional, highly skilled Employment Consultant (EC) provides job development, placement, on-the-job training, and follow-up services in this customizable program. Working with both participants interested in community employment, and area businesses seeking employees with the right skills for open positions, our EC helps make sure those we work with find, and keep, the right job and employee.

Supported Employment

 

On-The-Job Training

Our On-the-Job Training (OJT) program is the perfect, cost-effective, low-risk solution for businesses that seek to fill open positions but may not be ready to make a permanent hiring decision.

Many of the potential adult and student employees we work with need a more diverse resume to improve their chance of obtaining employment. Through the OJT program, local businesses agree to provide that experience, while BAC pays all participant costs, including wages and worker’s compensation.

For the participant, an OJT offers a paid (no less than minimum wage) opportunity to gain job skills and experience of what it’s like to work in an employment environment.

Here’s how the OJT program works:

  • The business hosts an initial interview with a participant candidate and their BAC Employment Consultant to discuss the job duties, expectations and requirements.
  • If the decision is favorable for an OJT, for eight to 12 weeks, depending on the business needs, our participant works within the business, receiving valuable training and experience.
  • During the OJT, the participant is expected to learn new skills that they can not only add to their resume, but take with them to another, similar job.
  • The business is not expected to hire the individual at the end of the OJT period, but it’s great if that is the outcome.
  • While the OJT program is at no cost to the business, the participant gains a lifetime of benefits.

Contact our Employment Transition Team or via phone at (321) 632-8610 to learn more.

Female employee packing a box of assembled product inside manufacturing facility

Pre-Employment Training

This is a 20-hour, comprehensive program that offers training in various skills such as job development, interview preparation, appropriate dress and social media etiquette via a classroom and community setting. Participants also take a pre- and post-assessment to measure the program’s effectiveness, and at the completion of the program, will have a resumé to give to potential employers.

Discovery

Discovery is designed to assist first-time job seekers or those returning to the workforce after an extended time away with figuring out what their workplace interests may be and the best path to the job that is right for them. Through one-on-one interactions with their trained Discovery Counselor, participants uncover which skills they may already have, those they may need to learn or expand and the best work environments to fit their specific work goals. Through Discovery, the participant and the counselor learn together to ensure a successful, long-term work placement outcome.

Woman working at a computer station in a computer lab

 

LaunchIT

Demand for qualified candidates for entry-level IT roles are at record highs, while the unemployment rate for people with disabilities has sky-rocketed to more than 18 percent in recent months. Launch IT graduates will provide an effective solution to both these workforce challenges. 

LaunchIT

 

Adult Day Training

Individuals with significant disabilities who prefer a more supervised environment in which to thrive find the Adult Day Training (ADT) program the perfect solution.

Our dual track program allows us to tailor our offerings to better meet the unique needs, wishes and skill set of each specific participant. Individuals in either track are active participants in their programs, engaged in daily opportunities for growth and personal fulfillment.

Life Enrichment Track
This track offers community integration activities and classes in areas like social etiquette, technology, cooking, budgeting, art and more. This track is geared toward those who are not currently interested in employment and have determined that obtaining a job is not a personal goal, but who have chosen to more fully engage in experiences and skill building designed to increase their independence, improve self-sufficiency and boost their self-esteem.

Employment Training Track
This track is designed for those who would like to be considered for, and prefer to actively work toward, the goal of community integrated employment. Each participant receives individualized coaching along with a personalized educational, recreational and training schedule. Pre-employment training focuses on both appropriate workplace behaviors and skills as well as specific job skills building in simulated environments, classrooms and work bays. An Employment Consultant will assist in job placement

Employment Training participants must have buy-in from their personal supports and funding sources and will be encouraged to register with Vocational Rehabilitation as part of the program. In addition, through the Social Security Administration’s Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) project, a certified Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) will assist individuals with developing an understanding of the impact that work could have on their SSDI/Medicare as well as SSI/Medicaid benefits.

Contact our Habilitation Manager, habilitation@bacemploy.com or (321) 632-8610 for more information.

Woman working on a tablet at a table in a computer lab
“When our son graduated from high school and we needed a day program for him to go to we looked in the Orlando area, where we were living at the time, and here in Brevard where we still had a house. Our decision was a no-brainer after that because as far as we’re concerned, BAC is the Harvard of day programs, period. It’s the entire reason we moved back to Brevard County and we couldn’t be happier with our decision.”
Kathy Abelove, BAC parent

Social Security Benefits and Work Planning

BAC serves as a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Project organization that assists Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries who want to go to work.

Through a cooperative agreement with Social Security, our certified Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWIC) provide WIPA services to beneficiaries in 11 counties. CWICs work with beneficiaries, ages 14 through full retirement age, to help them understand the effect of work on benefits in order to support successful employment.

Practical Applications of Career Exploration

High school students in Brevard Public Schools enrolled in the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program can explore career opportunities to prepare for life after graduation through the Practical Applications of Career Exploration (PACE) program.

PACE Coordinators work closely with school administrators, teachers and local businesses to help students identify their individual interests and skills to expand their awareness of career opportunities. Interview preparation, resume writing, proper interview attire and soft skills etiquette are also taught during the school year.

Overall, the program has a tremendous impact on students as they prepare to make realistic career choices and more successfully transition into adulthood after graduation.